Croatian medical journal
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Croatian medical journal · Dec 2021
The role of the European Union in health policies of member states - an example of the rare diseases policy in Croatia.
To assess the European Union's (EU) impact on the Croatian health policy, and identify which mechanisms and processes were used to shape a particular health policy on the EU and national levels. The study focused on the rare diseases policy to obtain a better insight into the process of policy shaping, starting at the EU level and moving down to the Croatian national level. ⋯ Given that the rare diseases policy area is a developing policy area, this study contributes to a better understanding of the implementation of the EU health policy, clarifying a mechanism that can enable national governments to adopt specific health policies.
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Croatian medical journal · Dec 2021
Social media use habits, and attitudes toward e-professionalism among medicine and dental medicine students: a quantitative cross-sectional study.
To describe and compare social media (SM) use habits, and attitudes of medical and dental students toward e-professionalism and to determine their opinion on potentially unprofessional behavior and posts. ⋯ Both groups were highly aware of e-professionalism. Dental students were more desensitized to visual representations of patients, and more prone to SM interactions with patients, which might expose them to the risk of unprofessional behavior.
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Croatian medical journal · Dec 2021
The cost of care for people living with stable HIV in Croatia and the efficiency of EmERGE.
To estimate the cost-effectiveness of the EmERGE Pathway of Care for medically stable people living with HIV (PLHIV) at the University Hospital for Infectious Diseases (UHID), Zagreb. The Pathway includes a mobile application enabling individuals to communicate with their caregivers. ⋯ EmERGE Pathway was a cost-saving intervention associated with changes in management, and a reduction in outpatient visits, tests, and costs. ARV costs dominated costs. Future efficiencies are possible if EmERGE is introduced to other PLHIV across the UHID and if ARV prices are reduced.
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Croatian medical journal · Dec 2021
Waning immunity six months after BioNTech/Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination among nursing home residents in Zagreb, Croatia.
To assess the humoral immunity to COVID-19 in nursing home residents six months after vaccination. ⋯ Almost half of the participants (46%) had a negative or low positive titer six months after having been fully vaccinated. This study suggests that humoral immunity among nursing home residents considerably wanes six months after BioNTech/Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination. Our results could contribute to the discussion about the need for a booster dose.
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Croatian medical journal · Dec 2021
Case ReportsInfliximab rescue therapy in a patient with acute severe ulcerative colitis and coronavirus disease 2019 followed by Escherichia coli 0157:H7 infection: a case report.
The management of patients with acute severe ulcerative colitis and SARS-CoV-2 presents a clinical challenge. We report on the first case of a patient with acute severe ulcerative colitis and mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who received rescue infliximab therapy, followed by a relapse caused by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli 0157:H7. The treatment challenges we faced were biologic therapy administration during active COVID-19, about which little was known at the time, and how to treat EHEC due to the risk of hemolytic uremic syndrome. ⋯ Our patient tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, but actually had mild disease. At the same time, she had acute severe ulcerative colitis, so we started anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy despite serological tests and the recommendation to delay biological therapy administration for two-weeks. Second, due to severity of the first flare, COVID-19, and the patient's general condition, we opted for an antibiotic treatment of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 while monitoring the parameters of potential hemolytic uremic syndrome development.